How did you surprise your kids?

[disneyworldfamily]

I know most of you have been to Disney many times, but we are newbies, going for our first time next month.

We have been planning since February of this year, but we have not told the kids yet. The main reason being is that they would not be able to handle that kind of excitement for all of these months. So we are going to tell them about 10 days before we leave. We think they will be able to handle that I remember when I was little, there is no way I would have been able to contain myself for months with news like that!

We know how we are going to tell them, I have a whole elaborate plan, the whole thing will be recorded of course

How did you tell your kids the first time you told them WE ARE GOING TO DISNEY!!!

 

[dontthrowsand]

Post the video!

My mom just used to tell me, I didn't like surprises. I don't have kids but I would make puzzles to collect clues then one they had all the clues, they could trade them in for the note. I like mind puzzles and logic games though

 

[aprestwich]

We actually drove all the way from Barrie, ON to Orlando telling them we were on a "Secret Mission" and then going on a shopping trip and going to a wedding. Got to a Orlando a day before our reservation at AKL, so we stayed at a Best Western. Kids were thrilled with the pool until some kid in the pool started talking about Disney. I was the MEANEST dad ever for pulling them out of the pool early, but it was well worth it when we drove up to the front gate and I was able to say "Hey kids, wanna stay at Disney?"

I'll be damned if I'd drive 2200km to have the suprise ruined by a kid in a pool! They didn't even know they were in Florida!

The video was priceless, still play that for them today whenever we're telling them we're going back.

Andrew

 

[disneyworldfamily]

We actually drove all the way from Barrie, ON to Orlando telling them we were on a "Secret Mission" and then going on a shopping trip and going to a wedding. Got to a Orlando a day before our reservation at AKL, so we stayed at a Best Western. Kids were thrilled with the pool until some kid in the pool started talking about Disney. I was the MEANEST dad ever for pulling them out of the pool early, but it was well worth it when we drove up to the front gate and I was able to say "Hey kids, wanna stay at Disney?"

I'll be damned if I'd drive 2200km to have the suprise ruined by a kid in a pool! They didn't even know they were in Florida!

The video was priceless, still play that for them today whenever we're telling them we're going back.

Andrew

Wow! Definitely an elaborate plan! Such great memories that will be talked about for a very very long time

 

[LittleFlounder]

On Christmas Day 2010 my family and I surprised my 2 nephews with their first Disney trip. We were going 2 months later. We got a big box and wrapped it so it could be opened by just lifting the flaps. Inside I put a Mickey shirt for both boys, and 3 helium filled balloons (one was a big Mickey foil one)... taped to the strings of the balloons were notes saying "We're going to Disney World" and one saying the dates were were going.

We hid the box far from the Christmas tree so the boys couldn't find it, behind the dining room table and they opened all their presents as usual. A couple hours later (almost lunch time) we called the boys into the living room and said we had one more present. They opened up the box together, the balloons floated out and the kids read the notes as they floated. Boy, were they ever surprised! ...too excited to even notice the tshirts in the bottom of the box. They were really not expecting it! ... I recorded it too!

 

[disneyworldfamily]

On Christmas Day 2010 my family and I surprised my 2 nephews with their first Disney trip. We were going 2 months later. We got a big box and wrapped it so it could be opened by just lifting the flaps. Inside I put a Mickey shirt for both boys, and 3 helium filled balloons (one was a big Mickey foil one)... taped to the strings of the balloons were notes saying "We're going to Disney World" and one saying the dates were were going.

We hid the box far from the Christmas tree so the boys couldn't find it, behind the dining room table and they opened all their presents as usual. A couple hours later (almost lunch time) we called the boys into the living room and said we had one more present. They opened up the box together, the balloons floated out and the kids read the notes as they floated. Boy, were they ever surprised! ...too excited to even notice the tshirts in the bottom of the box. They were really not expecting it! ... I recorded it too!

Love it

 

[momof2gr8kids]

Hey - we're planning to go in Feb. too! It will be our second trip.

For our kids, they got some super duper fancy mail from Tinkerbell (aka mom! lol) with a rhyming poem I made up letting them know. We videotaped them opening and reading, then jumping up and down on our furniture. LOL

The poem told them to keep watching in the mail, then I , ahem, I mean Cinderella, etc. would send little invites to dinner and stuff every few days.

 

[IrisSphere]

I dont have kids, but will be surprising my husband with our first trip to Disney for our second wedding anniversary (he is almost like a big kid himself, so it counts, right? )

I plan on getting little presents that would symbolize each park (i.e. DHS - Darth Vader mask, Magic Kingdom - toy story book, AK - something about animals, Epcot - a small globe), and then having him guess the connection. If he is stumped, I plan on bringing out Mickey shaped pancakes so he finally gets it

 

[MystikaFaith]

We actually drove all the way from Barrie, ON to Orlando telling them we were on a "Secret Mission" and then going on a shopping trip and going to a wedding. Got to a Orlando a day before our reservation at AKL, so we stayed at a Best Western. Kids were thrilled with the pool until some kid in the pool started talking about Disney. I was the MEANEST dad ever for pulling them out of the pool early, but it was well worth it when we drove up to the front gate and I was able to say "Hey kids, wanna stay at Disney?"

I absolutely love that!!! ^^^ My kids knew well in advance the last time we went but this time I want it to be a surprise..... so we may just have to go on a "secret mission" as well next time around

 

[Infamousmare]

My kids had already been once (we go every even year with my parents) but my mother-in-law wanted to go, so the next year I planned a secret trip with her. For months we'd speak in code on the phone and exchanged countless emails planning meals, excursions, etc. The kids did ask to go with my in-laws; however, I told them we couldn't afford it. My plan was foolproof!

My kids thought we were flying to New Jersey to surprise their Tata and everyone on the plane and even in the airport went along with our ruse! One of the skycaps at MCO even said, "Welcome to Orlando, New Jersey!". It was so much fun!

When we got to the airport, my mother-in-law was waiting. My kids ran up to her, thinking they'd surprise her. She acted surprised, then handed them their "train tickets" (actually the Magical Express vouchers). Both kids looked at the vouchers, then at her and said, "These say Disney on them, Tata". She then jumped up and down and yelled "That's because we're going to DISNEY WORLD! SURPRISE!!!". *cue me sobbing tears of joy here*

My two older cherubs just stared at her blankly and said, "Mommy would never surprise us with Disney World. We can't afford to go this year."

I videotaped the whole letdown. My husband and I could not stop laughing - the kids would NOT believe we were going to Disney until we were on the Magical Express. When the video came on showing the characters checking into the hotels, my son turned to my daughter and said, "Hey Bethany, I think we really ARE going to Disney!"

It was priceless.

 

[Emteach]

My two older cherubs just stared at her blankly and said, "Mommy would never surprise us with Disney World. We can't afford to go this year."

I videotaped the whole letdown. My husband and I could not stop laughing - the kids would NOT believe we were going to Disney until we were on the Magical Express. When the video came on showing the characters checking into the hotels, my son turned to my daughter and said, "Hey Bethany, I think we really ARE going to Disney!"

It was priceless.

This sounds like my sisters reaction. She is 12 and I guess has heard us say wish we could go to Disney but just cant afford right now. So when we surprised them with a printout she just stared blankly. Took a minute or two for her to really believe it and then she said are you serious about 25 times. My 6 year old brother was not really understanding but now he is getting pretty excited.... asking daily to watch something Disney on youtube lol.

 

[zrabbits]

We are going for the first time this November and are going to surprise the kids as we put them in the car. It is going to be my husband's first trip as well as the kids (ages 3,
7, 11 and 12). My 12 yo son will turn 13 while we are there. He shares a birthday with my mom so we are also taking my parents. Eight of us driving from Oklahoma. I can hardly contain my excitement and I have 100 days to go!

 

[iluveeyore]

When we took our daughter for her first trip, she was four - her brothers were 8 and 10 (their second trip). We were going for Christmas and wanted to surprise them. We told them we would pick them up after school because we were going Christmas shopping and out for dinner in the states (lived just half hour from border at that time). When we picked them up, my middle son was crying, saying how mean his teacher was giving him more homework than anyone else, and he thought he was doing better in school than that (I had told teachers we were going...she yelled at me later cuz she felt bad for the whole time he was away as he was a favourite student of hers and it crushed her when he got tears in his eyes with his homework pile). This was also a week before the other kids were off for vacation for Christmas.
Anyhow, said we had to stop in at home and get rid of their winter coats first since the malls were too warm and the coats took up too much room (they didn't know it was because our little car's trunk was full and I had no where to store them as we were driving down!). So at home, I had set up the Christmas tree and decorated to keep up the ruse that we were home for Christmas the next weekend, and we put their coats away. Thank goodness they didn't notice the dog wasn't there right away (took him to kennel earlier). I said, hey, why don't the three of you pose for a picture in front of the tree for me, since you all have matching fleece jackets on (lighter for the drive down)....so I snapped one picture and then said, "oh, by the way, we aren't going shopping in the states tonight", cue instant frowns on three faces. "Would you rather drive to Disney World instead", cue slow smiles, looks of disbelief as they try and register, and then outright grins and actual tears of joy as they absorb what I asked. The pics are priceless.
Sorry it was a long one....the kids still talk about it 13 years later!

 

[disneyworldfamily]

All of these stories are great, thanks for sharing everyone! Just a couple more weeks until we tell our kids. It is going to be priceless

 

[dvcdisney]

My son's first time was when he was almost 3 yrs old. We told him a month in advance. He was excited at first but I don't think he knew why he was so excited. It was probably because my husband and I were very excited. We hadn't been back to Disney in 3 years at the time.

My daughter was 9 mths when she went her first time. We didn't even tell her. My son kept showing her photos but all she wanted was to put them in her mouth.

So, not much surprise in either case.

Now we go every 6 mths and there is no surprise there. On occasion, we did surprise them. When we went on our first cruise, we did a b2b (3 night and 4 night on the Disney Dream). We told them that we were going on a cruise, but they didn't know it was going to be a b2b. At breakfast on the last morning, we got the video out and asked them if they had a good time etc. Then we asked them if they wanted to stay for the next cruise. They were both confused but said "yeah". We said okay, we will. They both sat there and stared at us. They couldn't understand. My son said that we are not allowed because we didn't pay for the next cruise and we would have not cabin to stay in. Then we explain to them that we planned and paid for this a long time ago. They were still a little unsure until we told our server that we were staying. It turned out that she was our server again, so when we saw her at the first dinner, she as well as my children were ecstatic.

We treasure these surprises because there are very few times we can. They know when we vacation and they know it's either Disney or Disney Cruise.